Western Illinois student-athletes avoided study hall at all costs.
They desperately wanted a place to study, catch up with teammates and get help with assignments, but the location made it easy to avoid.
On the far end of campus, the Western Illinois student-athlete study center consisted of a scattering of tables and chairs in the small basement lobby of the kinesiology building. Student-athletes would sit under the fluorescent lights after long practices, trying to study and focus. The vending machine often clamored as students grabbed a drink or chips.
"It was a little chaotic," said Kayden Porter, a softball student-athlete. "It was just on your own."
"It was just kind of dark and gloomy," added Ries Wynn-Foster, director of student-athlete success and support.
Faculty athletics representative Jeremy Robinett sprang to action, writing a proposal to the NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program, a grant program that assists Division I schools as they develop programs and systems designed to increase graduation rates and ensure academic success.
In the application, Robinett outlined practical ways Western Illinois could use the nearly $90,000 in grant money. One of the main objectives: Create a study center at a central location on campus where student-athletes wanted to show up.
After the NCAA approved the grant, Robinett's dream came to fruition. He helped create the Student-Athlete Success and Support Center, known by student-athletes and faculty as the SASS Center. The SASS Center is located at the Leslie F. Malpass Library, a six-level architectural gem boasting large windows, plants and bright lighting.
"We've gone from being in the cellar to the penthouse," Western Illinois Athletics Director Paul Bubb said.
"To be in the center of the campus with the SASS Center is critical to the visibility, as well as the resources, we can share with the rest of the campus," Bubb added.
Robinett said the grant has helped the athletics department leverage small, easily attainable goals by using preexisting resources on campus.
"This grant can be used as a fantastic way to bridge some of the divides that often exist on college campuses that pit athletics against academics or athletics against facilities," Robinett said. "The grant facilitates a lot of conversations about partnerships that ultimately benefit the different parts of campus and, most importantly, our student-athletes."
In addition to the new space, the grant allowed for the funding of five graduate assistantships in the athletics department to aid in compliance and academics. The SASS Center also paired up with the university's academic success center to coordinate tutoring hours.
The SASS Center is a one-stop shop for the student-athletes to log study hall hours, receive tutoring or stop by the writing center.
For softball coach Alisa Goler, the center impacted her team immediately.
"It was just a godsend," she said. "My kids are there nonstop. They probably drive them nuts with how much they're in there."
The coach said the space not only has allowed her players to better focus on their work but also create bonds with other student-athletes.
"They have actually made connections and friends there with the other student-athletes and students," she said. "When we created that environment of the SASS Center, whether they knew it or not, my team, all the other athletes, leaned into it."
Football coach Joe Davis agreed.
"This past fall of 2024, we had the highest team GPA in eight years here at Western Illinois University. We've set the bar really, really high. The Student-Athlete Success and Support Center has been a big reason behind that," he said.
Wynn-Foster, director of student-athlete success, has moved his office to the center, making it easier to see when student-athletes come in and out. He said about 20-25 student-athletes will stop by his office each day. In addition, student-athletes regularly do academic check-ins with Wynn-Foster, a coach, and Robinett or a graduate assistant to make sure each student-athlete is on track academically. These meetings have fostered a strong relationship between the faculty and student-athletes.
"They notice that my door's open now. They're pretty much the ones that will basically take all my snacks," said the director, who stocks his office with chips, granola bars and fruit snacks.
Western Illinois also used the grant money to implement a software program that tracks the progress of individual student-athletes. Faculty can easily pull reports on a student-athlete's grades, classwork and track toward degree completion.
"Our goal, which is our statement, is, 'Many teams, one goal: student success,'" Bubb said. "This grant has allowed our students to become successful, even more so in the academic arena now than they had been before."
Bubb encouraged other Division I midmajors with limited resources to take advantage of the NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program.
"This grant allowed us to move money to areas that needed to be worked on, while continuing our support for our academic success," he said. "If anyone's looking to improve their overall academic programs and to develop a showcase program, this grant is a way that you can get there and do that."
